Legend of Zelda: Gems of Power
by Summoner Angel
Summary: The sorcerous High Lord of Hyrule is plotting something insidious and he is bringing a young mage with him. The first Gem of Power is revealed as is a dark plan to end Link's quest...R&R PLEASE!
1. Default Chapter

**Author's Notes: Hey all! Summoner Angel here! Long time no post, eh? I haven't posted anything on here in forever, but now I'm back from outer space…ahem…anyway, here's my first attempt at LoZ fanfic action! I love LoZ so I'm praying that I can write a decent story that lives up to the beauty of this awesome series. Read and enjoy, but don't forget to review! Good or bad, its all appreciated! DO IT!**

**sa**

**Legend of Zelda: Gems of Power**

**Prologue:**

In the time of peace Hyrule experienced between the fall of Ganon and his return to power (between OoT and MM), Link came back to his homeland, expecting a break from heroism. Unfortunately what he found when he returned was an evil sorcerer in place of a king and a missing princess. As always, it is up to Link to save the day and rescue the princess. Oddly enough, the people of Hyrule are fine with their current condition, having been fooled by the magicks of the sorcerer. How will our hero go about saving the day this time? Who will he turn to in Hyrule for help on his "last quest"?

**Chapter 1: Homecoming**

Home is sunlight filtering down through the freshly unfurled leaves, the last storm's raindrops trickling down tree trunks and onto the springy earth, a chorus of birdsong somewhere in the treetops. In the distance, if you listen closely, you can hear the giggle of forest spirits as they play in the air. The magick is thick and warm, inviting like a welcoming hug from your mother. This is home. All these thoughts rushed into the Hero of Time's head as he led Epona back into the Kokiri Forest. It had been seven years since he had even set foot in Hyrule, very much nonetheless his childhood home.

After Zelda had sent him back to his own time when they had defeated Ganon, Link had plunged into a deep depression from which he found no escape. His ten-year-old self was feeling the loss and pain of a seventeen-year-old, the loss of true love and he couldn't handle spending anymore time in Hyrule. So, he set out for many other lands where he could try to forget everything. He saved many kingdoms and had found many new friends, but nothing came close to those he had in Hyrule. He was, after all, a Hylian himself.

Epona's hooves clumped slowly on the soft, rain soaked earth and the early morning sunshine sparkled through the shock of blonde hair that fell from Link's green cap. Suddenly, the hero stopped, startling the even-keeled horse a little. She narrowed her intelligent eyes at him as he stretched his arms over his head and yawned loudly. He was always tired, as the horse had learned over their years together. Link then laughed loudly and listened to the echoes of his voice bouncing around on the trees. Or were the forest spirits laughing with him? Thrilled that he was finally home or at least close to it, Link leapt onto Epona's back and urged her forward. She broke into a steady canter and Link whooped joyfully.

They broke out of the trees and into a clearing where Link brought Epona to a halt and dismounted. He hadn't ever stumbled upon this clearing before and he had lived in that forest for nearly ten years. He patted Epona's side and she went off a little ways to graze and rest. Furrowing his brow in thought, Link studied the strange patches of dirt where no grass would grow, the overturned logs, the expansive nature of the clearing itself. He was walking around slowly in that clearing when he came upon a clear waterfall tumbling down from a little cliff. Realization broke upon his face in an instant and he was overwhelmed with the shock. This clearing with its dips and rises, its dead trees and young grass, it had once been the Kokiri's village. But where were the Kokiri?

Anger and confusion at this startling turn of events forced Link to sit down. Epona glanced over at him, sensing his tragic pain; she trotted over to him and nuzzled his neck. He turned and stroked her face, whispering something in ancient Elfish, the language of the Kokiri. Epona, having spent the last half of her life with this man, responded and lay down as well. "Epona," Link breathed. "We have to find out what happened here. We have to find the Kokiri and ask them why their village is gone." He said all this to her neck where he had buried his face. Epona whinnied softly and stood, bringing her shaken rider with her. He mounted and when he raised his face to the warm sunlight, he had transformed. He was no longer the upset youth he had been mere seconds ago, now he was the strong hero he had been so many times for this land of Hyrule and other kingdoms all over the world.

He steered Epona towards the entrance to the Lost Woods and leapt off her back as soon as they reached it. He nodded to her and she knew to wait for him. He'd summon her with his ocarina if she wandered too far. Link climbed the wall that led up to the Lost Woods and jogged into the winding pathways. From memory or habit he found his way all the way into the Woods, where the Sacred Forest Meadow began. Surprisingly, he found the maze in front of the Meadow completely peaceful; no foe challenged him yet and he silently praised the goddesses. That was a really good sign. His warrior instincts were alerted anyway and his hand lingered on the hilt of his sword which was strung across his back, underneath his shield. His blade was nothing like the Master Sword, but it was enchanted with strong evil-warding spells and other strengthening spells in case he needed to battle anything more powerful than a Wolfos on his journeys.

Link slipped quickly up the stairs that led to the Meadow, his heart thundering in his breast, his breath coming in short bursts. He was more nervous than scared really; he was worried that he wouldn't find Saria or any of the others hiding up there from some kind of dark evil force. As soon as he reached the Meadow, he sighed loudly and removed his hand from his sword. There they all were, the Kokiri in all their childish glory, living as they normally would. They had constructed another village, much smaller and more cramped than the original, but it still functioned quite normally, from what Link could see. The laughter of the Elf spirits caught his heart and wrenched it; he had once been one of those green-garbed children, running about without a care in the world. How he missed those days.

One of the girls giggling and playing near the Forest Temple entrance spotted him and hailed him with a call and a wave. "Hey! Link!" All the Kokiri that were outside heard her call and they turned and ran to him, laughing and chattering. He knelt so he could see their eyes and faces better, answering their rushed questions with happy responses and short stories. They all sat there and talked for several minutes before Mido came out of the largest hut in the new village and stomped over. Link, who looked just like another one of the Elf children crouching there and wearing green, stood up when Mido demanded to know what was going on. The Kokiri all laughed at how tall Link was in comparison to Mido, who glared them into silence.

"So, Link, you finally decided to come back, huh?" He barked, crossing his arms and tapping his foot while his fairy darted around Link's head. Link laughed at the excited fairy and at Mido's indignant expression. "Yes, Mido, I am finally home." He answered confidently, daring Mido to say something mean so all the others could report it to Saria. At the thought of Saria, Link moved away from the angry Mido in search of the green haired girl. Some of the Kokiri followed him, but most of them grew tired of that game and they found other things to play with. After searching the entire village and finding no sign of Saria, Link plopped down on the Forest Temple's stone medallion with a sigh.

A fairy darted out of nowhere and landed easily on Link's shoulder. It cleared its little throat and waited for Link to look down. "Well, hello there, little revered one." Link greeted the fairy with a tiny bow. She laughed musically and zipped around to his other shoulder. "You don't remember me, do you Hero of Time?" Link's brow furrowed with thought and his bright blue eyes darkened slightly as he thought back to his adventures in Hyrule. A smile darted onto his lips and he jumped up happily, sending the fairy flying around him. "Navi! Of course I remember you! How could I ever forget?" Navi's musical laughter rang out and she and Link talked for a while about how things had been in Hyrule for the past few years.

Link was concerned that Navi had not mentioned one thing about the King or his lovely daughter during her entire speech about how Hyrule was. She also hadn't said anything about why Saria was nowhere to be found. "Navi, what about the Royal Family? How are they?" Navi, who had been jumping from Link's knee to the top of his head, stopped on his knee and stared up into his emotive eyes. "Well, Link, I haven't said anything about the Royal Family because there isn't one anymore. The King died several years ago and after that, Princess Zelda disappeared." Link's eyes widened, a cold stab of pain shouldering its way into his chest. "What?" He gasped, urging Navi to continue with a silent nod. The fairy sadly continued. "Yes, one day she was just gone and no one knew where she went. A group of advisers took over the rule of the land for a while. But, recently, a powerful sorcerer from the Cold Mountains has taken over. He was elected by the people, so they are all quite content."

Link was still in shock over what his former companion had just told him. In the space of a few years, centuries of the Royal Family's traditional rule had been entirely erased and replaced with a democracy. And, to top it all off, Zelda was nowhere to be found. His hero instincts kicked in and he was about to suggest that Navi come with him to find and save the obviously kidnapped Princess, but he still had many other questions to ask. "So, why are the Kokiri living here, by the Temple now, Navi?" He asked this burning question to calm his thundering heart and to quell the urge to run off to the rescue. Navi sighed and leapt into flight. "Because the new ruler of Hyrule doesn't like other magicks being so close to his sphere of influence. He pretty much banished the Kokiri here." Link was outraged. "What? He can't do that! The Kokiri have lived here in this forest since before the Cold Mountains even existed! They were the first people Nayru placed on this world!"

Navi bobbed her orb-like flying self in agreement. "That's why Saria isn't here." Link steeled himself for what Navi was going to say next. He didn't want to hear about Saria sacrificing herself for their people. "She's in the Castle Town trying to appeal to the courts about the case of the banishment. Mido wanted to go, but she told him to stay here and take care of things. He's really upset that she got to leave the Forest and he didn't." Link narrowed his eyes suddenly. "But the Kokiri can't survive without the magick of the Forest keeping them alive." Navi landed on Link's shoulder as he stood again. "I know! She wouldn't listen to reason. Her fairy has already returned to say that Saria has one more day and then the magick of the forest will leave her and she will die." That was all Link needed. He hurried from the Meadow and the new Kokiri village, thoughts racing. He had returned to Hyrule to live out the rest of his days in peace, but he had found that the whole kingdom was in turmoil. Zelda was missing, some upstart was ruling with a sorcerous fist, and Saria was going to get herself killed if she didn't come to the Forest by the next night.

Navi was bobbing along with him as he ran back into the clearing that had once been the village. Epona was drinking from the pond, waiting for his return. "Link! Please bring her back safely!" Navi cried, flying back into the Lost Woods. "I will, Navi. I promise. I'll bring them both back safely." He spoke this oath more to himself than anyone else as he mounted Epona. The horse sensed his need for speed and she broke out with a spirited whinny and galloped towards the exit of the forest. Here we go again, Link thought wistfully. All I wanted was to live out my years in the Forest with nothing but peace to guard against the pain of my past, but now I have to plunge right back into adventure. Some homecoming.


	2. Her Mission

**Chapter 2: Her Mission **

A young woman with long, light brown hair stood before the throne of the High Lord Magnan, ruler of Hyrule. She wore a brown tunic over a light gray blouse and gray leggings. Her feet were shod in knee-high brown boots and there was a bow strung across her back. Her keen gray eyes were fixed on the grizzled features of the sorcerer. She knew him well enough to know that even when he was silent, he was weaving some sort of spell through the air. She felt his magick like a thick fog as she stood there before his throne, waiting for him to speak. His speckled black and white beard was trimmed well and his black hair was also well kept. He looked the part of High Lord, but the woman knew much better.

Suddenly, with a short laugh, the High Lord stood and put his arms out in a welcoming gesture.

"Elise! It has been far too long! Forgive my silence; I was meditating on something quite unsettling. Please, relax and tell me how you have been." Elise sighed and shook her head, expression never changing. She seemed like a very serious and stern young woman, her eyes revealing a cold heart.

"Magnan," Elise inwardly grinned at the way the man flinched when she said his name. "You know very well how I have been. I know that you have had your men following me for years. Don't take me for a fool." Magnan laughed, running a few fingers through his beard.

"I guess I underestimated your skills, Elise. I am sorry, but you must understand my caution. I just need to know that I can trust you." His deep brown eyes dug into Elise's thoughts and she felt his magick again, desperately trying to enter her mind and know what she was thinking. She threw up a barrier spell and pushed him out of her mind. That trick may have worked when she was younger, but she was a much stronger mage now. Magnan's brow furrowed, but he kept his oily smile on his face. Elise let a cold smile onto her lips and her pretty face looked much better as such. Magnan sighed and sat, looking suddenly pensive and worried.

Elise normally would not have cared what the man was thinking, but he had summoned her for a reason and she wanted to know. She also wanted to get away from him and his magicks before her power failed her.

"What is bothering you? I sense your apprehension." Elise spoke in a low voice, attempting to keep her words private from the two guards stationed on the other end of the throne room. Magnan raised his dark eyes to her and he sighed again.

"Elise, you know how hard I have worked for this seat of power in Hyrule. You know how passionate I am about serving the people and seeing them all happy, yes?" Elise snorted and crossed her arms, knowing that was an out and out lie. She nodded him on, disbelief glowing in her eyes. Magnan's eyes lit up, realizing that there was no fooling his trusted servant. With a single gesture he sent the guards away. The immense doors of the throne room boomed closed behind them and Magnan stepped down off his dias. He fixed Elise with an unsettlingly mysterious stare before he stepped to the nearest window.

"I do not know how many years I spent in my home in the Cold Mountains wishing I was as powerful as I am now. I worked so hard for so many years, Elise. You know that; you were there for some of them." Elise tensed slightly, not wanting him to get sentimental on her.

"I took my time, however, strengthening my powers and looking for a perfect opportunity. That upstart of a Gerudo thief set my plans back a few years when he started all that trouble with the Sacred Realm and the Triforce. Then the Hero of Time arose and I thought I was done for." Magnan turned back towards Elise, a sad expression on his strong face. He looked almost like he was a real person, like he experienced emotions such as sadness or regret. Elise knew that this was not true, however, and did not react. Magnan swiftly continued his tale.

"After the boy defeated and banished Ganon, he disappeared and I was grateful beyond words. I swiftly set my plans and took action. The King of Hyrule was no easy victim, however, and he is not dead as many have assumed." Elise gasped, kicking herself for reacting to this news. She had suspected that Magnan had staged the whole death of the king thing just to gain power, but he was actually admitting it. How surprising. Magnan chuckled evilly.

"Yes, the King lives, but not in a physical form. I reduced him into energy and have stored him in this gem." He reached into his rich purple robes and pulled out a glowing, deep red gem set in a golden claw. Elise's spine tingled when she saw it, sensing the life within it keenly. Her mind picked up on the cries for help the King was uttering and she inwardly shuddered. What a horrible fate that would be, she thought. Magnan replaced the gem in his robes and cleared his throat.

Elise's mind was racing; did the High Lord do the same thing to the powerful Zelda? Magnan sighed and shook his head, having read her mind.

"No, Zelda disappeared on her own and I regret that. I worry about her return everyday. However, that is not what has been bothering me nor is it the reason I summoned you here." He turned and stepped back to his throne. He settled into his throne and rested his elbows on his knees. He lowered his chin onto his hands and closed his eyes. Elise felt his energy reach past her and out into the world. She felt him inviting her to come with him and she closed her eyes, joining her energy with his. In her mind's eye, she saw the expansive rolling fields of Hyrule stretching out away from the Castle Town. She saw the Kokiri in the banishment and she saw a single fairy bouncing around near the exit of the entire forest. Thinking that odd, Elise allowed herself to be pulled along with Magnan's probe of magicks further.

Elise now saw a horse, tall and strong standing just outside the Castle Town, tossing her head and whinnying softly. Her rider, having just dismounted, was speaking to her in a low voice. Elise didn't recognize the words, but the voice sent her mind reeling. She couldn't see the man's face but her senses were going insane. The power rippling off of him, even in her mind's eye, was enough to send chills down her spine. Could it be? Had he returned? Was that…

"Yes, it is the Hero of Time. He has returned to Hyrule." Magnan spoke and broke the trance, sending Elise stumbled when she returned to her body. Gasping and heaving in a few breaths before even opening her eyes, Elise tried to calm herself down. She hadn't expected this to be the reason Magnan had brought her from the Mountains to help him. Shuddering, she wrapped her arms around herself and steeled herself for what Magnan was going to say next.

"Elise, I know he is powerful and I know he is a threat. I also know that you are much more powerful than you yourself know. Besides, when your mother brought you to me, she left me a gift to give to you when you reached this age." Elise's eyes widened at the mention of her mother. The dark High Lord reached into his robes again, but this time the gem he drew out was strung on a silver chain. It was a beautiful gem, roughly the size of a walnut, bearing the coloration of freshly churned butter. Elise dropped her arms to her sides and felt the energy pouring off the gem awakening a deeper dimension of her powers. She took a step towards the man who had raised her and towards that gem.

"Elise, this gem is a very powerful and influential gem. I thought they had been lost until your mother brought this one to me. This is the Gem of Wind, one of the Gems of Power. These Gems would make me all-powerful, Elise, and I want you to find all the Guardians of the Gems and bring them to me. They are the key to unlocking the power within the Gems. Guard this well, Elise, and bring me the other five Gems of Power." Elise took the gem and slipped the chain over her head. Immediately, she felt the power within it rush through her body, filling her with spells and enchantments to control the winds of the world. Magnan smiled and bowed his head to her. She decided she was going to ignore the fact that he was sending out all sorts of bad vibes. She also decided that she should go explore her new powers fully.

As she turned to leave, Magnan barked an order at her to stop. She did so and turned, feeling his cold, harsh magick holding her still.

"Elise, that is not all. I need you to do something else for me. I need you to kill the Hero of Time."


End file.
